Overbank Flow in Compound Channels with Nonprismatic Floodplains

In this paper, the authors present experimental results of overbank flow in compound channels with nonprismatic floodplains and different convergence angles. The depth-averaged velocity, the local velocity distributions, and the boundary shear stress distributions were measured along the converging flume portion for different relative depths. The momentum balance is used to analyze the force acting on the flow in the main channel and for the whole cross section. Using the experimental data, various terms in the momentum equation are also calculated. The apparent shear forces on the vertical interface between the main channel and floodplains are evaluated for compound channels with nonprismatic floodplains, and the results are then compared with the prismatic cases. The energy balance in nonprismatic compound channels is also investigated by using the water surface elevation. DOI: 10.1061/(ASCE)HY.1943-7900.0000368. (C) 2011 American Society of Civil Engineers.